The following warning was provided by a concerned reader in order to educate other women about this potentially dangerous ploy:

"I was at a service station getting gas about 9:30 p.m. when I was approached by two men and two women in a car.  The man who was driving asked me 'What kind of perfume do you wear?'  I was a bit confused and I asked him 'Why?'  He said, 'We are selling some name brand perfumes at a cheap price.'  He then reached out of the car window and handed me paper that was laminated; it had perfume on it.

I looked quickly at it and gave it back.  I told him I had no money.  He said it is OK because they took checks, cash, or credit cards. Then the people in the car began to laugh and I got into my car and said 'No thanks.'

I probably would have agreed had I not already received an e-mail at work warning of a 'Wanna smell this neat perfume?' scam.

THIS IS NOT PERFUME...IT IS ETHER!  When you sniff it, you'll pass out. They'll take your wallet, your valuables and heaven knows, what else.  If it were not for this e-mail, I probably would have sniffed the 'perfume' but thanks to the generosity of an e-mailing friend, I was spared whatever might have happened to me.  I wanted to do the same for you."